- BGG rank
- BGG #303
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Anno 1800: The Board Game
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,359
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Lair
2019
Rules assistance for Lair
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 30–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for Lair
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Lair is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by TAM and its main mechanics are Race, Ownership, and Modular Board.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,969
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Push Push Penguin
- 2–6 players
- 10–20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,039
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Crafting the Cosmos
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,870
- BGG rating
- 7.1
قصر القرود
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,640
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Floristry
- 2 players
- 15–20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,738
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Scurry Up!
- 3–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #138
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Keyflower
- 2–6 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,139
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Praetor
- 2–5 players
- 75 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,593
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Shards of the Jaguar
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,149
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Breaking Bad: The Board Game
- 3–8 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,797
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Rivals
- 2–6 players
- 40–120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,031
- BGG rating
- 6.7
6 Castles
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2019
About the game
You are one of the lieutenants to the nefarious Mr. White. You are tasked with building his secret underground headquarters on a remote volcanic island. Construct rooms such as the Missile Silo, Interrogation Room, and the Shark Tank — in the most optimal location to gain most favor (victory points) from Mr. White. Lair is a competitive building game where you are in charge of constructing a 60's era, underground HQ — inside a volcano, no less — for your nefarious boss. It has a Euro-influenced, worker placement mechanic where you have two types of workers: the lowly henchmen that you use to claim a room, and the boss that can command henchmen to activate the ability of the room. You spend Work Tokens to command a henchmen, but if you command another player’s henchmen, you have to give that player the Work Token. It also has an expanding score track that doubles as the elevator shaft, which affects your build options and game strategy in interesting ways. It is a small-box strategy game that plays more like a big-box game. The game is highly thematic, from the tongue-in-cheek art style, to the streamlined gameplay that rewards villainous actions. Command your workers and make judicious use of scant resources to build an optimum lair, and gain the boss's favor.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Game and a Curry, LLC
- Wee Big Games
Questions and answers
Lair supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Lair is 30–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Lair for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Lair has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Lair belongs to these categories: Card Game, City Building, and Spies / Secret Agents. Its main mechanics are Race, Ownership, and Modular Board. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Lair are: TAM. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Lair as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.